Sad news to report, fine German film actress Susanne Lothar died late yesterday, she was 51. Susanne was the daughter of actors Hanns Lothar and Ingrid Andree. For her first film Strange Fruits (Eisenhans) in 1983, she received the German Federal Film Prize. She was known for her celebrated character acting.

She was best known for her roles in Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” in 2009, and the Oscar-nominated 2008 movie “The Reader,” directed by Stephen Daldry. She also appeared in two other Haneke movies: In the 2002 drama, “The Piano Teacher,” about a troubled but talented pianist, and in the original version of the psychological thriller “Funny Games.”

She was extremely well known and beloved and celebrated in Germany and other foreign markets. I had seen her brilliance in The White Ribbon and Funny Games - the original. The cause of death has not been released. She was married to actor Ulrich Mühe who died of cancer in 2007. She is survived by their two children.